May 30, 2014: Big Bang

Science Pub RVA #19

Ripples From The Big Bang

What a way to close out Science Pub RVA’s second year of service to the community!

By invitation from The World Science Festival, Science Pub RVA was thrilled to be a Worldwide Partner and offer the only public live stream of a #WSF14 event in Virginia. Drs. Nebel and Singal kicked us off with a condensed 30-minute Science Pub experience followed by the live stream of the WSF signature event; Ripples From The Big Bang. Brian Green moderated the remarkable panel discussion among the world’s pioneers in cosmological thinking including John Kovak, Alan Guth, Andrei Linde, Paul Steinhardt and Amber Miller. So in conversation with local scientific thinkers and listening to the best thinkers on the topic, we explored the ongoing quest to understand the beginning of the universe and the controversial March 2014 announcement by Kovak’s research team claiming they discovered the gravitational wave evidence that supports the theories of inflation and the big bang.

After retiring from Alfred University, Dr. Nebel decided he missed helping people learn physics. Now, in addition to teaching, he serves as the University of Richmond’s Physics Laboratory Director. Dr. Nebel’s Labs runs the gamut from general physics to kinetic theory and mechanics. Nebel’s former research explored atmospheric physics and solar astronomy, with a focus on upper atmospheric physics, specifically the behavior of carbon dioxide and how it interacts with various molecules and with radiation in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. No longer conducting research he has a lot more time to enjoy playing the piano and guitar. Dr. Singal’s was joined the UR Physics Department last year. His research explores population studies of active galaxies and questions such as how they have changed over the history of the Universe. Singal had the fortune of a stint with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, has traveled to all 50 United States, set foot in 20 countries so far and shares Dr. Nebel’s hobby of guitar playing.